Life: all you need to know happens in a garden

Took some time today to start the fall prep in the garden. I'm always excited to start a garden (just think of all the possibilities!), I get bored in the middle, I'm grateful for what it provides (despite my non-regular attention), and in the fall, I'm sad to see it go.

This year, I feel sad but also highly accomplished.  I pulled up old lettuce plants. (There were a lot: green leaf, romaine, spinach, ect).  I looked in on the carrots. They're doing well, and I think I'll make some soup later today with them. I've got tons of small cherry tomatoes-- I'm going to roast some of those later today too.  I checked to see how many full-size tomatoes had decided to turn red in the last 24 hours-- not many.  I've got tons of green ones. It might be time to stop waiting, and just make some Fried Green Tomatoes. (Yes, that is a real thing, not just a movie.)  

I yanked, pulled, and struggled with the Giant Pumpkin vine until -- almost ten minutes later-- it was filling up our garden waste trash can. It really was time to trash it (after producing two large pumpkins), but it was such a trooper this year-- despite the fact that I DIDN'T PLANT IT THERE! (I'm still blaming the seed relocation to the birds). It had 'somehow' ended up in the zucchini box, and there were no zuchs to enjoy!  Those thieves.

It took me until Aug to decide whether or not to try again with the zuch-- but a summer without zuch was just too hard to bear.  So, this time, I found a spot closer to the house, (side garden), and replaced some of the gone-to-seed-lettuce with some fresh seeds.  I wasn't sure if they would have enough time-- birds were already migrating south, but Jacob and I have harvested some good zuchs, and re-discovered our favorite zuch bread recipe.  Heavenly :)

This year we grew our own pumpkins.  So despite the birds doing some unsolicited relocating, we have a very decent crop for the front door fall decor.  In fact, I'll go count right now.....

5 orange: three small ones, two Giants-- (first time growing those, so they are smaller than I thought-- maybe I'm supposed to pluck any extras off so the one grows bigger? )

3 white: otherwise known as Ghost Pumpkins.  One looks demented-- I didn't discover until later it was growing up and *in* the garden fence.  So it has a 'nose'.  Can't wait to see what I can do with that one when it is time to decorate pumpkins.

2 green: (babies), I was clearing out the Giant pumpkin vine, and surprise! there were some little green ones.  (We cut up one for school to see what is in there at this stage in a pumpkins life.  I can report: not much.)

1 more orange one in the back still growing, Giant Pumpkin variety. I'm very impressed-- it only started up at the end of Aug/ beginning of Sept. It is the most 'Cinderella Pumpkin' looking of all the ones so far--- thus earning the extended growing time/ life I'm giving it. Ya, I'm a sucker for the 'how big will it get?' curiosity factor.

And finally, 2 little (?) ones growing still in the back-- I don't have the heart to pluck them yet.  After all, Halloween is still more than a month away-- plenty of time for growing...And for figuring out what kind they are ;)

And speaking of Halloween..... have you noticed how many pumpkins this all adds up to?  Ya, maybe I shouldn't have cut open that one for school... ;)

Anyways, the garden is my little bit of philosophy, psychology, and science all rolled into one.  

It's proof that life, wild creatures (especially birds), the weather, and people have no problem sending curve balls my way. 

When I've got a ton of green tomatoes, it's time to stop gripping about the colder weather, and start heating up the pan for some yummy food.  It isn't only lemons that can be used for other things.

This year, I acknowledge the fact that I'm hesitant to 'try again' in mid-swing/ mid season.  Gotta work on that. It wasn't until I was seeing others enjoying their zuchs that I could really come to terms with my lack.  It took me MONTHS to show myself, *myself*!, that there was no harm in trying again in the same year.  And it proved that even though I stared (again) late, there was time.  

There is ALWAYS time to put some good things in your life.  Well, mine that is ;) And yours too, of course. 

Life: all you need to know happens in a garden.